Wire-fence stretcher.



J. 0. HE ITT. WIRE FENCE STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.25, 1909Patented June 8, 1909.

JOHN G. HEWITT, OF ATHENS, OHIO.

WIRE-FENCE STRETOHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed. January 25, 1909. Serial No. 474,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. HEWITT, citizen of the United States,residing at Athens, in the county of Athens and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Stretchers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention has to do with means for stretching woven-wire fences; andone of the objects of the invention is to provide a stretcher adapted tobe quickly and easily. connected with a fence or the like to bestretched, and a post, and embodying such a construction that anoperator is enabled with the expenditure of little effort to stronglypull and stretch the fence, and no effort on the part of the operator isnecessary to hold the fence against retrograde movement or casualloosening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a stretcher, of thekind stated, embodying means whereby the stretched fence may beexpeditiously and easily relieved of the draft or pull as when it isdesired to disconnect the stretcher from the fence and the 1 With theforegoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from thefollowing description and claims when the same are read in connectionwith the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification,in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken in a plane above the stretcherconstituting the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I amcognizant, and showing the said stretcher as connected with and properlyarranged relative to a woven-wire fence to be stretched and a postalongside which the fence passes. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view,taken in the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow, and showing the connection between thehook and the hand lever and the connections between the clutches and theSaid hand lever. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken in the planeindicated by the line 38 of Fig. 1, and-best showing the sectionalconstruction of the hand lever and the means for permitting of the saidlever being folded when not in use. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on anenlarged scale, of the clutch shown at the left of the lever in Fig. 1,as said clutch appears when removed from the stretcher.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of thedrawings, referring to which:

A is a fence post.

B is a woven-wirefence.

G is an upright grip constructed by preference in the manner set forthin detail in my contemporary application of even date herewith, SerialNumber 474,060 and fixed upon the fence B and having the usual chain orcable D for the connection of a stretcher, and E is the draft barcomprised in my novel stretcher. The said draft bar E is provided at itsforward end with a hook a which is designed to reach around the post Ato the forward side thereof, and is there provided with a barb or prod6, designed, when pull is exerted on the bar in the direction indicatedby the arrow No. l, to be embedded in the post and in that way assurethe bar remaining alongside the fence B, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In addition to the bar E, my novel stretcher comprises a hand lever Fwhich straddles the bar, a hook Gr designed to engage the chain or cableI) on the grip G, links H pivotally connected to the hook G and to theshort arm of the lever F, a clutch I pivoted at 0 between the links H,and having a stop d adapted to bring up against that edge of the upperlink H which is ad jacent the fence, and also having an opening 6 whichreceives the bar E, links J pivoted at f to the short arm of the lever Fand extend ing in the opposite direction from said short arm, withreference to the links H, and a clutch K pivoted at g between the linksJ and having a stop h and also having an aperture i, which latterreceives the draft bar E in the manner shown.

By virtue of the construction described, it will be manifest that whenthe lever F is oscillated subsequent to the connection of the bar E tothe post A, and the connection of the hook G to the chain or cable D,the clutches I and K will creep step by step on the bar E in thedirection opposite to that indicated by the arrow No. 1, and first oneand then the other of the said clutches will take secure hold of the barE, with the re sult that the fence B will be strongly pulled in thedirection desired, and will be eifectu ally prevented from casuallymoving back ward or becoming loose. It will also be manifest that thestretching of the fence through the medium of the mechanism describedmay be accomplished with but little the attendant.

Vihen it is desired after the fence has been stretched and secured tothe post A or otherwise, to permit the clutches 1 and K to move on thebar E in the direction of the arrow No. l, to permit of the hook G beingeasily disconnected from the chain or cable I), the clutches may berendered loose on the bar E by first placing the end of the swinginghook M over the adjacent end of the clutch K, and then swinging thelever F forcibly against the adjacent end of the clutch I, since by suchoperation both clutches will be simul taneously moved to positions atright angles to the bar E. In this connection it will be noticed thatthe hook M is pivoted at m to the lever F and is adapted to move withsaid lever.

In the present and preferred embodiment of my invention the lever Fcomprises bars a adapted to rest above and below the bar E, a handle barp which is pivoted at r between the bars a, and a pin 8 which isconnected through a chain t with one of the bars a, and is designed whenthe handle bar p is alined with the bars n to be placed in registeredapertures u in the three bars, see dotted lines in Fig. 3. Because ofthis connection it will be manifest thatthe bars n and the handle bar 7)may be moved as one piece, and yet when it is not desired to use thestretcher, the pin 8 may be withdrawn from the apertures u, and then thehandle bar 72 may be swung on the pin 1' so as to render the stretcheras a whole more compact.

It will be readily gathered from the foregoing that my novel stretcheris adapted to be easily applied and operated, and that it is welladapted to withstand exposure to the weather and the rough usage towhich devices of corresponding character are ordinarily subjected.

As before stated, the construction herein shown and described is thebest practical embodiment of my invention that I have de vised, but itis understood that in the future practice of the invention changes inthe form, construction and relative arrangement of parts may be madewithin the spirit of my invention as defined in my claims ap pended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. In a wire stretcher, the combination of a draft bar, a hand leverextending at an angle to and straddling said draft bar and having longand short arms, apertured clutches receiving the bar and arranged atopposite sides of the lever and connected with the short arm of thelever, and means on the long arm of the lever adapted to effectdetachable connection between one of the clutches and said long arm ofthe lever when it is desired to utilize the lever to sinniltaneouslymove both clutches to posilions at approximate right angles to the draftbar.

2. in a wire stretcher, the combination of a bar, a hand lever extendingat an angle to and straddling said bar and having long and short arms,links pivoted to and extending in opposite directions from the short armof the lever, and clutches pivoted to the links and disposed at oppositesides of the lever and having apertures receiving the bar and alsohaving stops for cooperating with their respective links, and meansconnected with one of the links and arranged at the opposite side of oneof the clutches, \vitlrrcfcrence to the lever, and adapted for use inthe connection of the stretcher lo the thing to be stretched.

3. in a w re stretcher, the combination of a bar, a hand lever extendingat an angle to and straddling said bar and having long and short arms,links pivoted to and extending in opposite directions from the short armof the lever, clutches pivoted to the links and disposed at oppositesides of the lever and having apertures receiving the bar and alsohaving stops for cooperating with their respective links, and a swinginghook counccted with the long arm of the lever and adapted to be movedinto and out of engage ment with one of the clutches, for the purposeset forth.

l. in a wire stretcher, the COI'llblllfltlOll of a draft bar, a handlever straddling said draft bar, aperturcd clutches receiving the barand arranged at opposite sides of the lever and connected with the same,and means adapted to ellect detachable connection between one of theclutches and the lever when it is desired to utilize the lever tosimultaneously move both clutches to positions at approximate rightangles to the draft bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN 0. ll EWIT'I.

\Yitnesses JAS. H. Bmonwoon, T. E. TURPIN.

